Pokemon - The Journey to Lugia - Brock
by Architectural Oshawott
Summary: One of a number of spin-offs from 'the journey to lugia', follow the Pokemon veteran Brock, as he deals with the change of events Team Rocket has forced upon both Trainers and Pokemon alike, as well as his attempts to reach out to the one who can change the course of events...
1. Chapter 1 - When It All Began

The trainer was talented, _that's _for sure!

I stood in the wake of the destruction, shielding my eyes from the Pokemon's impact. My onix was battling amicably, but it's foe, a monumental Scizor, was proving to be more than just a match. My Pokemon sported a number of cuts and scrapes, damaged by the Bug-type. It's owner, no older than twelve, at most, sneered towards me, hungry for the Badge nestled cleanly on my shirt.

"You're going _down, _pal! " he teased, grinning like a maniac! He pointed towards my exhausted Pokemon, and nodded towards his own.

" Finish him! X-scissor!"

Scizor tensed it's whole body, launching itself with breakneck speed, slicing the distance between it and Onix with brutal force.

Perfect.

" Onix, Iron Tail!"

My Pokemon lashed out it's vicious tail, directly in front of the opposing Scizor. In an instant, it began to glow a dazzling white, the tip fusing itself into a different member of the Periodic Table. Both Pokemon had no choice now but to collide against one another. Scizor's pincers sliced through the air, criss-crossing diagonally, and struck it's battling counterparts tail, resulting in a miniature explosion! No longer able to see just what was going on, I crossed my arms, allowing patience to take over, and waited, to see what verdict arrived from the combined attacks.

I refused to believe the answer, unfolded right in front of me!

Scizor was still standing, breathing heavily from the exertion. It limped lightly towards it's trainer, giving the faintest of nods, evident even from my elevated position.

My Onix, however, could not boast the same feat. For a while, it looked like my Pokemon had survived the impact with little to no damage whatsoever, easily overshadowing the formidable Bug-Type. After a number of seconds, however, Onix closed it's eyes, accepting that it's battle was over. The Pokemon collapsed to the ground, ushering a vast cloud of fine dust, rising towards the summit of the building. Onix was unable to rise once again, requiring a great amount of effort simply to keep it's eyes open! I sighed, accepting that this round, at least, belonged to the challenger.

" Onix, great job, old friend." I whispered, running my hand across it's forehead, smiling. My Pokemon had been battling for the past 20 years, long before it met me. It became apparent, however, that my Pokemon was getting older, not as dominant and as powerful as it once was, and it's loss to the Bug Pokemon, in such a short period of time, gave evidence to that.

" For ridiculing you earlier," I began, returning my friend to the safety of it's poke ball, simultaneously retrieving another, enlarging it. " I apologize."

The Trainer grinned manically, his slicked-back blond hair reflecting the Gym's tungsten lighting. His clothes, however, were in pieces, with holes spotted throughout his jumper, completely at odds with his deposition. A relatively new Trainer, from the looks of things. But his Pokemon! The bond and chemistry they share was not, could not, simply form overnight!

"Just you wait!" He teased, pointing a slightly muddy, but manicured, finger in my direction. ""My Pokemon is more than a match for whatever you throw at it!"

Scizor raised it's arms into the air, silently placing a period at the end of it's Trainer's sentence. I nodded. I underestimated him enough as it was, it was time to get serious now.  
And I had the _perfect _Pokemon for the job.

My poke ball opened, and the flash of light leaped into the air, as if on it's own accord! My opponent took an involuntary step back, fear etched across his face, unable to determine, as of yet, the threat that challenged his Pokemon. The light subsided, revealing one of my favorite Pokemon, refusing to allow Scizor even a second of respite. The Kabutops barreled towards it's foe, colliding with it's target long before the challenger had time to form an effective response. Scizor flew through the air, afflicted with my Pokemon's momentum, landing unceremoniously on the rocky wall of the Gym.

Now, for the first time, my challenger began to display the first signs of shock. It was apparent, judging from the young boy's reaction to the Pokemon, that he had never dreamed, let alone encounter, my prehistoric Kabutops.

" What...is that?!"

It was moments like these, when my ace was played, catching opponents by surprise, that made being a Gym Leader memorable.

" Fascinating, isn't he?" I couldn't help from remarking, just as I witnessed Scizor's movements from the corner of my eye. " Aqua Jet."

The words had barely escaped my lips before Kabutops dashed forward, leaving a trail of water in it's wake. Both Pokemon collided together, the Bug-Type fending off it's adversaries scythe-like arms, just, before launching it's own counterattack, it's pincers glowing a piercing White.  
Metal Claw. An advanced move for a Pokemon, considering it was being trained by a relative newcomer.  
The Pokemon viciously swung it's arms, intending to defeat my Pokemon with a single strike!

"Double Team."

Kabutops effortlessly avoided the attack, swerving to the right, with plenty of time to spare before the air it had occupied was full of the Bug-Type's pincer. My Pokemon instantly multiplyied, surrounding the lone challenger, as well as it's Trainer. Beads of sweat barreled down his forehead, and I could tell that he may have slightly regretted challenging me today. But it was too late now. I was getting bored of this battle, and it needed to end now.

" Toxic!" I shouted, smirking calmly to myself.

Every single version of my Kabutops sprinted towards it's enemy, who had no hope of defending itself, not against that many foes, no matter how illusionary they were! It took just a second, maybe even less, and my Pokemon returned to my side, it's copies disappearing in the blink of an eye, of no more use. For Scizor, however, the furious poison now corroding through it's body was just the beginning. Instantly, it's tough skin began to lose it's predominantly Red tone, growing paler and paler by the second. It's Trainer backed against the nearest wall, slightly afraid. He wasn't focused on his Pokemon, however.

It was my Kabutops that drew his broken, terrified gaze.

" Scizor! Hyper Beam!" He wailed.

A desperate last-stand attack, it seemed.  
It was too late, however, for the Pokemon to act now. As the seconds drew by, the Bug-Type fell to it's knees, too busy focusing on battling the ever-growing poison to continue battling. now was the time to end this once and for all.

"Blizzard!"

My Pokemon crossed it's arms, crystallizing in an instant, before swiping the air, releasing a single, deadly gust of ice-covered wind, instantly striking the challenger's Pokemon, struggling to rise to it's feet. It's body froze where the icy air touched it's skin, converting it into an ice sculpture.

"Stop! Please stop!"

Having had enough, my opponent sprinted towards his Pokemon, tears filling his eyes. He reached for Scizor's hand, retrieving medicine from his bag.

" I give up! Just don't let that thing near me or my Pokemon again!"

My "thing" took offense to this, and took a step forward, but was instantly retrieved before it lost it's temper, returning to the poke ball nestling in the palm of my hand. This was, possibly, the young kid's first Gym battle, and I couldn't blame him is he was more than a little terrified right now. For now, however, it was my victory for today, and I kneeled down beside the Trainer, reaching for medicine of my own.

" It's the poison that you need to treat first. Toxic is a powerful move, and it gets more and more potent as time passes by. This is what you need in your bag."

The needle in my hand sank into Scizor's skin, emptying it's contents in a split-second. As soon as I discarded the expended item, the Pokemon began to move again, no longer frozen solid. Of more importance, however, was it's color, returning to it's familiar shade.

" Full Restore." I explained, smiling as Scizor returned to it's previous state, as if it had never battled today." its the best medicine out there, but it's expensive, so I would suggest saving your money, it heals anything that your Pokemon can be inflicted with, but use them wisely." I retrieved another from my pocket, feeling especially generous. " Here, take one, but us it only in an emergency, at least until you can obtain some more."

The Trainer reached for the medicine, accepting it gratefully, but kept his head bowed, his cheeks a burning red.

"Listen," I explained, rising to my feet. " Battling a Gym Leader is no easy task, and while you and your Pokemon clearly formed a deep bond. You need more training, much more of it, if you want to receive the Boulderbadge."

I gestured to the Scizor, dutifully standing by his Trainer's side, expressionless, but evidently agitated by it's loss, perhaps it's first for a long time.

" To start with, you new to take a greater interest in type weakness when battling," I continued, gesturing to his Pokemon. " your Pokemon knows moves that are effective against Ground Types, but you only used such a move once, also, Hyper Beam would be a wasted effort in this Gym, as Normal moves wouldn't deal much damage against my Pokemon."

To his credit, the boy nodded intently, taking a keen interest in what I had to say. There was a certain something about this Trainer, the gleam in his eye, perhaps, that signaled that maybe, just maybe, he would become a powerful Trainer someday.  
Perhaps even as powerful as _him._

" Also, you need to research what Pokemon in particular a Gym Leader is using. Don't be embarrassed to ask around, information is power, so gather as much of that as you can, and strategize accordingly."

My opponent, too, stood up, running his Pokemon's arm encouragingly.

" Thanks! I'll be sure to do that!"

" Good, and don't worry, you'll get there someday."

The Trainer, nodding, turned to leave, his Pokemon following suit.

" Thanks a bunch, for teaching me a lot of your tips, I'll be back!"

With that, another Trainer exited Pewter Gym's doors, returning the eerie silence within the Arena. I glanced at the scene of destruction in front of me, where the battle had taken place. Smiling with satisfaction, I glanced towards the doors once more.

"I'll be waiting."

*...*

" Three challengers, all defeated. This is a good run you've got going, son."

" I know. But isn't the point of being a Leader not allowing Trainer's to progress through? Not beating them left, right and center?"

" They need to hit a certain standard, Brock. You cannot lower that standard so they can progress. Take it from me, the guy who ran the business for 15 years, your doing great, just keep doing what you do best."

The sun was shining high over the midday sky, intensifying the already humid atmosphere within the city. While most would find this uncomfortable, I was never overly bothered about the heat, likewise my father, keeping pace beside me. The rocky mountains encapsulating the City burned an earthy Brown, the smell of dust heavy in the air. The one thought in my head, circling ceaselessly, refused to go away, and it was something that I would have to face sooner or later.

My Onix.

What am I going to do about my Pokemon?" I asked, knowing my father would pick up exactly on what I was talking about.

" I gave you Onix when you were just ten years of age, what would you like to do with it?"

That was a question that I simply had no answer for, not yet. One thing was for sure, however, it was too old to continue battling the way it does. Now, it was beginning to hurt every time I released the Rock-Type into battle, seeing my longtime friend struggle against a fight it could never win. Onix deserved better.

"Maybe...maybe it's time to leave him go."

There. I said it. It was out in the open, and a knot of regret began to tie itself in my gut. Right now, I hated myself for what I said.  
My father, to my astonishment, nodded in agreement, contemplating the idea.

"Mt. Moon would allow it to roam freely, and it's near the City region, so we can visit it as often as you would like. I understand your predicament, son. Your Onix would fight for you from now until the end of time, that much is certain. We need to think about it's welfare now, and keeping it inside the confines of a poke ball for an extended period of time at it's age is simply not healthy."

Everything my father has said was true. Unavoidably, undeniably true. I began to feel a little bit better, though no less guilty, about what I had to do now.

" And don't forget, Brock, a member of the Elite Four are paying a visit today. They're coming to see if Pewter's Gym is maintaining it's standard."

I swore. Of course! I had forgotten all about that! I could have sworn the scheduled visit was next week!

" You're _absolutely_ certain it's today?"

"Afraid it is." Came the the response I really didn't want to hear right now.

Releasing Onix was going to have to wait. Right now, the Pokemon needed to be in prime condition to pass inspection. All of my Pokemon needed to.  
Damn it! I really had no time for this right now!  
I sprinted towards my Gym once more, making a mental note to apologize to my father for deserting him, albeit for an understandable reason. There was a lot to do, and as my feet hit dirt, the long list of objectives scrolling through my head was becoming far too long to to accomplish in just one day, but it had to be done, or attempted, at the very least.

I knew exactly who was going to inspect my Gym, the Leader who had inspected it for the past three years.

Bruno.

The fighting specialist had taken a particular interest in my Gym, for whatever reason, and the aging fighting specialist had an authority about him that intimidated everyone he met to the core. I was no exception, I had acquired new Pokemon as well, which will no doubt raise skepticism about their performance in official Gym battles. The record, however, couldn't lie. 200 matches this year, 148 wins, a near-as-makes-no-difference 75% success rate. No matter which way you looked at it, those figures were impressive, and for a split second, a feeling of pride began to fester, a result of months of intense training. Bruno would have to appreciate the statistics, and the results.  
The decision from the Elite Four to perform bi-yearly inspections across every Gym throughout Kanto and Johto received a mixed response from their inhabitants, most notably Gary Oak, residing In Viridian City. I understood the improvements the Elite Four envisioned for Trainers and Leaders alike, but the sheer inconvienence confused me. Why travel such a distance, throughout every Town and City, when the Gyms were perfectly competent as they were? The question kept me entertained as I made my way to the Gym entrance, to the North-West of the city. Scores of people were walking to and fro the City Center, some busy scuttling towards the Pokemon Mart, others appeared to be simply enjoying the weekend sunshine.  
It must be nice, to enjoy the prospect of free time, not bound by the strict battling curriculum a Gym Leader needed to follow. I remembered a time, many years ago, traveling the world, meeting new people, discovering new Pokemon.

But we never received contact from him since he left for Viridian, years ago...

*...*

"Omastar! Time for target practice! Kabu, Golem, ten minutes of endurance battling, improvised!"

My Pokemon battled impressively, practicing their attacks with flawless precision, maintaining the level of momentum that I had come to expect from them, after months of intense physical and mental training. My Golem tackled Kabutops, defending itself from his opponents deadly scythes, sending both Pokemon to the ground. In an instant, the Pokemon withdrew into it's outer, rocky shell, spinning frantically, intending to strike the Fossil Pokemon.  
Kabutops, however, replied to the threat, side-swiping the massive wrecking ball, proceeding to launch a counter-attack. Omastar, meanwhile, launched scores of rapid bubbles towards the ceiling, attempting to strike my newest Pokemon, an Aerodactyl. The Pokemon was far too quick, however, effortlessly avoiding the projectiles, impressive given the limited space the arena provided. Areodactyl had yet to make a name for itself in this Gym, partaking in this exercise simply to test itself, yet the Pokemon showed very promising statistics, comprehensively escaping from Water-based attacks, a distinct advantage for my Gym. I made my way through the structure, pausing to admire and nod towards my respective Pokemon, proud. One Pokemon, however, resided in the center of the room, resting. Onix, glancing at me from the corner of it's eye, rose into the air, towering above me. Lowering it's head, I was able to climb abroad, holding on to the extruding spike, nestled atop it's head.

"How you holding up, big guy?"

Onix grunted in response, rising ever higher, until we were perilously close to the ceiling, allowing me to gaze across the entire arena. from my elevated position, the rest of my Pokemon battled on below, minuscule from my view.

"Remember when I first battled with you? And I couldn't remember what your move set was so you decided to dig underground and travel back here?"

My Pokemon chuckled in response, vibrations flowing through it's entire body as it did so.

"Or that time, when we traveled to Hoenn, and no one had ever seen an Onix up close before! It was great seeing the shock in people's faces, huh?"

The Ground-Type leaned forward, lowering me slightly. My Pokemon was no longer able to extend to it's full height for extended periods of time anymore. Despite my best efforts, nothing could mask what we both knew. My Onix knows every little fact of my life, it knew me better than anyone, and still does. I knew that it knew what I was about to say.

" You know, We should go to Mt. Moon again sometime soon, maybe when Bruno has left..."

Why? Despite what I had just thought, I still attempted to sugarcoat my statement, and Onix knew it. The Pokemon lowered me again, forcing my feet to touch the Gym floor, and stared into my eyes with it's own, demanding the truth.

"It's not healthy, for you to be inside a poke ball, at your age. You need to be able to roam around, be free. You've been a wonderful companion to me over the years, and I'm going to visit you every single day I promise! It's just..."

I couldn't bring myself to say it!

But I had to.

"Your now longer battling here in Pewter City Gym. I need to focus on your health, and battling just isn't viable for you anymore."

My Pokemon, all of them, stopped what they were doing, almost instantaneously, and turned their attention towards me, elevating the tension dramatically. My Onix froze, expressionless, refusing to move. I had to do this, to stand here and accept that what I said wasn't going to go down well. After a number of seconds, my Onix gestured to each and every other Pokemon around me, unnerving them as it did so, and returned it's gaze towards me, it's eyes asking one very important question.

'_ Will they receive the same treatment, when they cannot battle any longer?'_

I nodded in response, unable to express my answer in words.

My Onix returned the gesture, satisfied. I could tell, however, that the Pokemon left behind a high level of agitation, turning it's entire body away from me. The rest of my Pokemon, too, appeared uneasy, Kabutops in particular, shifting it's weight from one foot to another. It was a surprisingly "human" trait on behalf of the Pokemon, and the gesture spoke volumes. I had to accept this, however. Soon, maybe in the near future, my Pokemon would trust in me again.

"Am I...interrupting anything?"

I knew that voice from anywhere, so clear, so concise. The kind of voice you recognize after spending countless hours together, exploring different regions, discovering new Pokemon, and belonging to a group. From the corner of my eye, Misty tip-toed past my Pokemon, smiling cheekily as she made her way past Omastar and Kabutops.

"I'm sorry, dear Brock, but I'm afraid _I'm_ the one specializing in Water Pokemon around here!"

The innocent comment broke my concentration from my earlier predicament, allowing me to smile once more.

"Don't tell me you left your sisters in charge of the Gym again, need I remind you of what happened the last time?"

"Shut up Brock! It was just one time!"

We laughed together, just like old times, and the memories came flooding back, like they always did. It had been far too long since I had seen the Curelean Gym Leader last!

" You look great." I complimented, receiving a half-smile in response.

"Thanks...you too."

Misty surveyed my Gym, dismissive.

" I personally don't understand why you would spend the majority of your time in this dark and creepy setting! Haven't you gotten vitamin deficiency yet? Hire an architect, install some windows, make the room come alive!"

" I'll look into that, Missus 'sensitive skin', thanks."

That did it.

Misty began to blush a bright shade of red, more out of anger than embarrassment, but she reigned it in...saved it.

"Well now, I was only trying to help, seeing as all the Pokemon Nurses would then be able to look _inside_ the Gym, get a glance at their big strong handsome Brock in action!"

For better or worse, Misty knew me better than most people.

"You win." I sighed, defeated. My long-time friend always knew how to settle arguments.

Misty turned her attention towards Onix, now curled up on the ground, contemplating. She was about to make her way over to the Pokemon, to rub her hand against it's body, when I stretched my arm, stopping her.

"Don't, it's had a rough day today."

"Another loss? When was the last time it was able to defeat a Pokemon in battle?"

"I'm releasing Onix back into the wild, Misty. It's where it belongs now, keeping it here to battle at it's age just feels wrong."

The Trainer, to her credit, instantly understood, raising her hands in apology.

"It's OK. I told Onix that maybe it should reside in Mt. Moon now, where it would have space to roam around."

Misty nodded, brushing her Strawberry-Blonde hair behind her ear.

"That's good."

Almost without warning, the Gym Leader made her way towards my Omastar, placing her hand on the Pokemon's shell, brushing her fingertips against the pointy barbs that extruded from it.

"No offense, little guy, but you were much cuter as an Omanyte, but you've grown so much since I saw you last! Looks like your Trainer isn't completely useless after all!"

"Hey!"

We laughed once more, the echoes reverberating around the arena hall. I was glad Misty had decided to pay a visit. I could do with much more of them, the tedious work of a Gym Leader slowly creeps in to your social life, after all.

"Any word from-"

"No, Brock, I haven't gotten an answer from him in years. I was talking with his Mom. She got no word from him either."

It was the answer I had expected, and there no was no need to dwelve into the subject any further. It had been five long years, though. I silently hoped that Ash was OK, wherever he was. Where could he have gone, to be away for such a long period of time? Was he in Johto? Unova? Hoenn? Kalos? Hell, was he further still? Lucky him, still not tied down by responsibilities, still able to roam wherever he pleased. Sometimes I missed his Pikachu, the Pokemon scampering wherever his Trainer went. There was a lot I missed about those adventures. And I could see it in Misty's eyes, too. Neither of us wanted to be tied down, especially as Gym Leaders, handing out badges on a regular basis.

Misty, meanwhile, gestured towards the Gym's entrance, longing to escape into natural sunlight.

"Care to soak some rays? I'm sure a dose of vitamin D will do us both good!"

" I'm afraid I can't, not right now, got myself a visitor today, and everything's gotta look pitch-perfect."

Misty frowned, kicking a small-sized ball of dust in response.

" I got Koga... god damn Koga, to inspect my Gym, and he couldn't _possibly_ understand the careful attention to detail and scope of services I pour into my Arena, that Olympic-sized swimming pool has to be _continuously_ filtered and monitored to ensure no one bloody drowns in it, and the seating is there so family members and other Trainers can watch, and yet he recommended a tree, of all things, be situated somewhere, because, and I quote, ' Water Pokemon have too-big an advantage in the present environment'! Of course they do! It's a Water Gym!"

I noted with mild amusement as Misty carried on her complaint, it appeared she never got over her fear of Bug Pokemon, not just yet. It appeared the resentment extended to _owners _of Bug-Type Pokemon, as well.

"I'd take Koga over Bruno any day of the week." I replied, searching the confines of my Gym for any imperfection, anything that could possibly indicate a decrease of standard. It would be so much easier if the Elite Four released guidelines regarding their inspection. Spotting no obvious deficiencies, I allowed myself to relax, just a little.

"Your going to do Ok, Brock. Your one of the most powerful Gym Leaders I know!"

"Thanks, that means a lot."

"I would still beat you in a battle, though."

*...*

"What's going on?"

It was beginning to get dark, the setting sun disappearing behind the horizon, basking the clouds in a warm glow. Stars began to blink into existence, twinkling high above the orange sky. Misty left for Curelean an hour ago, with promises to meet up more often from now on, her visit made me feel a whole lot better about today's predicaments. What was left to do today, however, seemed less and less likely with every passing minute. Could Bruno show up here at this hour? My Gym was now closed, after all, yet that could precisely the right time for the Elite Four member to arrive, with no one else to distract him? Whichever way I could cut it, however, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

Very wrong.

My Onix roamed the outside section of my Gym, gazing at the mountains beyond, impassive. The Pokemon refused to meet my gaze, despite my best efforts to apologize. The Pokemon was proud, I knew that, but I never thought it would, could, hold a grudge.  
I was simply looking out for it's well-being, after all.  
And yet, If I was told I simply had to _resign _as Gym Leader, difficult as it was, I would retaliate against the decision, to demand an explanation.  
As I thought about this, it suddenly dawned on me that maybe my Pokemon was dealing with it's scenario _much _better than I had previously thought.  
'_I'm sorry...'  
_It was beginning to get cold, the day drawing to a close. Whisps of wind rushed past my body, a little too cold to be out in a T-shirt and shorts, it appeared. Yet I waited, forming a mental plan in my head.  
'_Where am I going to leave Onix in Mt. Moon? There's a plain, just near Curelean, that's big enough for him...'_

_"_Brock!"

My Dad, clearly worried, dashed towards me, panting from the exertion. It took a lot to make the old man run, and _that _could only mean trouble.

"What's going on?"

Flint drew his breath, gazing at the ground for a split-second.

"They're back...I _knew _they would be back! I _warned _everyone..."

"_Who? who's _back?"

"See for yourself..."

This made no sense, not to me, and my Father was too exhausted to formulate a proper answer. I brushed past him, making my way towards the Living room, where he usually resided, maybe what he was talking about had shown up on TV? When I entered the room, however, I knew _exactly _what my Father meant! Shock pierced my body, effectively removing me from the outside world. In my head, a swirl of thoughts and scenarios assaulted my senses, stunning me.  
'_No. It can't be! They were disbanded!'  
_The solidary 'R', surrounded by static, filling the entire TV screen, formed an effective argument against mine. In the background, soft, harmless bursts of static filled my ears, not overwhelming, but subtle enough to exude a sense of anticipation, as if the organisation were indirectly sending a message.  
'_We're coming.'_

There was no time to lose! I understood perfectly well what an organization such as Team Rocket could achieve, if left to their own devices. It took just a couple of seconds to retrieve my phone, punch in the numbers within the tiny buttons, before I held it to my ear, my increasing proportionally to the amount of time that passed. Misty would understand, more than most, about the early signs. I needed to contact her, and fast!

My patience was rewarded with nothing but static, completely unnatural to my ears. From what I gathered, phones never displayed scores of static, and that could only mean one thing...

"Son?"

Flint, slowly but surely, had made his way towards the living room, his aging face creased with worry, not an emotion my father wore well. He understood...of course he understood, I was there to tell them about what those criminals had done.

"It's ...it's really them, isn't it?"

I had no time to answer the question, one that we both knew never required a response. My hands reached for anything and everything useful in this room, clenching an empty water bottle, while recovering my used outdoor cooking apparatus, gathering dust on the top shelf on the golden wall.

" I'm going to have to go, see just what's going on."

"But you don't know where to go, who to talk to, what to do! Are you sure it's wise to venture towards this? The police will settle this, once and for all."

It's as if he had never taken in a single word I had ever said.

My bagpack was soon retrieved, deposited with as much food, water, and camping apparatus that I could carry. The unusually heavy weight came at odds with my back as I hefted it on my shoulder, but I would have to endure the uncomfortable feeling for now. I was only going to go a short distance from here.

" No. They won't."

My father wasn't giving up that easily, however, and stood directly in my way, blocking me from the only way out of this room, of this house.

" Promise me you will come back this time. I will not wait around for years, waiting for you to return."

" Dad, if Bruno arrives, tell him he's going to have to look for a new Gym Leader."

*...*

Night air assaulted my skin, rendering it numb, filtering to my very bones. Outside, the full moon stared at my running feet with confusion, summing up my fears that had sprouted in my head, as soon as I saw that symbol, that one damn letter! A cold sweat was beginning to develop as I sprinted in the general direction of Curelean City, with my less-than-concrete plan the only thing that was keeping me gunning in that direction.

Misty would understand. We had faced them before, and brought them to an end.

Or so we thought.

Scores of Noctowl flocked to see my progress, their heads tilted at unnatural angles as I sped past. Single, minuscule droplets of rain began to pour, the simple '_pitter-patter'_ eventually morphing into something a lot more torrential. My skin was soaked through and through in mere moments, and I picked up the pace, determined not to acquire the unwelcome addition of pneumonia.

Where was that damn cave when you needed it?

The rain increased in density, until I discovered there were no signs of the shower subsiding. My clothes of no more use, drenched utterly from the moisture. The moon disappeared, hidden behind a cloud.

A big one.

Grumbles emanated from above, threatening to unleash something far more deadly than rain. Just my luck to dash for the city during a thunderstorm!

"Crobat!"

Wasting no more time, my Pokemon was released into the open sky, the poke ball it was contained in discarded to the ground, with no time to waste retrieving it. I severely hoped Crobat wasn't particularly fond of it's capsule.

" We need to fly to Curelean, immediately!"

My Pokémon nodded, and I instantly climbed aboard it's back, struggling to wrap myself around the Poison-Type's uncomfortably tiny body. Despite appearances, however, Crobot effortlessly ascended into the sky, flying lower to deter the risk of attracting the very real danger of lightning. Chilly, turbulent winds threatened to suck me clean off the Pokemon's back, and I squeezed myself ever tighter around it, regretting the enormous pressure I had suddenly placed my Pokémon in. Crobat, however, had traveled with me from the very beginning, and if there was one Pokemon I could rely on right now, it was him.

Mt. Moon popped into view, before disappearing again as our acceleration reduced the imposing natural structure as nothing but an insignificant blur. Ice-cold rain doubled it's efforts to repel both me and my Pokemon, to no avail. Despite the increasing amount of pressure it was subjected to, my Crobat dispatched the miles with impressive vigor. It became apparent, however, as we neared the outskirts of the city, that my pokemon's wings were becoming over-taxed, exhaustion kicking in.

" Hang in there."

Our altitude dropped dramatically, the two of us faced with a dilemma. There was only one way to stop the both of us from smashing into the ground, coming in way too hot.

I would have to jump.

" I want you to swoop down, and fly back up towards the sky the second I jump, you got that?" I explained, satisfied as Crobat nodded in response, focusing on the task at hand. It's wings relaxed, and both of us tumbled towards the gravel below, twenty feet away. Thunder soon emanated all around us, and with it the sudden realization that if we didn't land, and land _fast, _we would soon be reduced to dust from the inevitable lightning strike!

"Wait for it..."

Ten feet, and we were still approaching solid ground far too hot. Crobat, to it's credit, maintained it's flight path, trusting me.

"Wait for it..."

Five feet, and I wasn't going to have it any easier without taking my Pokemon down with me,

"Now!"

I relinquished my grasp, falling towards the ground, bracing myself for impact.

Masses of shrapnel buried itself into my body, and the ground below welcomed me immediately. I landed on my side, colliding in a deadening 'thud'. Borrowing on years of traveling experience, I rolled, hoping to spread the impact damage across a larger area of my body. Gravel stabbed my back with a painful vengeance, yet my technique, as of yet, allowed me to escape any significant injuries.

Had I been one foot higher, I may not have been so fortunate.

Crobat, to my relief, soared high above my field of vision. The Pokemon had saved me from miles of venturing through tunnels, and as I struggled to rise to my feet, unable to find any area of my body that felt injured, focused more than ever on the continuing rain, may have saved my life too, Shivers soon crackled up and down the length of my spine, and I suddenly realize that unless I found shelter from the relentless downpour soon, I may still be at risk of pneumonia, a very real danger, in my case. I dashed towards Curelean's boundaries, struggling to banish the bands of pain arcing across the length of my legs,from my memory. Crobat flew beside me, maintaining the same speed as I had. I could tell, just from a glance, that my Pokémon was worried, keeping close to me.

"It's OK, I'm fine. You've done really well my friend."

Finally, just as I made my way to the outskirts of the small city, the rain eventually stopped, knowing it had failed. The downpour ended abruptly, as if someone had simply flicked a switch, odd.

There!

Misty's Gym, it's colorful exterior at odds with the Grey/Green background, stood before me, imposing against the Pitch-Black background the night sky provided. It's doors, however, were locked shut, and despite several attempts, no-one came to the door.

Damn.

Could my phone work now?

I dialled Misty's number, almost hissing in frustration as static, once again, filtered through it's speakers. Something was jamming the phone's signal, and I had a feeling it wasn't down simply to the storm grumbling overhead.

"Hey!"

I faced the direction of the voice, male and unfamiliar, when I noticed dozens if men and women, pouring from their homes, whispering and muttering urgently, with one topic dominating the spontaneous social chatter.

"What do you think is up with my TV?"

"It's acting up on mine too, must be the service provider."

"The TV? it's my phone that I'm worried about! Nothing but static on the damn thing!"

No matter which way I turned, everyone voiced the same opinion, and the same concern. Whatever was going on, it was either a cruel joke, which I hoped it would turn out to be, or the start of a chain of events, one that I wanted to stop before it even began.

" Brock!"

It was Misty, running towards me, leaving the Pokemon center nearby. " Something's going on, Brock, and that R..."

" I came up with the same conclusion."

"You think it's -"

"Yes."

The Gym Leader placed her hand over her eyes, evidently worried. Once again, the singular drops of rain signaled the second wave of the storm above, and_ this_ time I would prefer to remain indoors when it does!

"Come on Brock, with me."

Misty rushed to her Gym, fiddling with the keys as she ventured towards the door, dispatching the lock in a swift fashion. It seemed I was going to stay here for the night, so I might as well make the most of it...

*...*

"This could all be a misunderstanding."

"This happened before, Misty. Do you remember the Goldenrod Tower incident?"

"I think we should just let the police figure this one out, this could be a prank, for all we know."

It was easy, disturbingly easy, to allow Misty's argument sink in, that I was simply overreacting, that this would all blow over soon. The Trainer looked worried, staring at me with the unmistakable look of concern. Perhaps this was all just a big misunderstanding...maybe. Raindrops poured down the sheer volume of glass that covered the west-side of the gym, moonlight filtering towards the swimming pool, reflecting it's broken image towards me. Trees were swinging viciously, losing their leaves within the cover of the full moon. Curelean City was alive with sound, even at this late hour. Much louder than Pewter, that's for sure!

"Uhhhh, Brock?"

Damn, I lost track of time! I shook my head, realizing for the first time the tiredness kicking in.

"Sorry, it's just, I'm worried."

I couldn't he'll it, my hands curled into fists, something that Misty noticed immediately.

"Have you checked your phone, Misty? Have you realized that both the TV company and the phone companies are completely separate businesses? And that both of them are acting up at the moment? That's my argument, my point of view, I want to believe that this is all just a joke, but I can feel it, Team Rocket are up to something, and if they're brave enough to display the letter 'R' on TV, then we may already be too late to stop them!"

" Then what shall you propose we do?"

Her question made a good point, the only sentence capable of discarding my resolve. What could we do? We had no leads as to where Team Rocket might be, no idea what was causing all of this, and how they were causing it.

" Maybe they have operated in their old haunts, Goldenrod Tower-"

" May have been used by Team Rocket in the past, but that place had tripled their security ever since that event occurred! They couldn't just simply barge in and take control again!"

"And what about Mahogany Town?"

"Brock, wherever Team Rocket had gotten their grubby little mits on, the place had been given a whole heap of security! I severely doubt that revisiting old operations would work!"

It started to make a certain amount of sense, I guess. But I felt so useless, not knowing exactly we could do!

" We need to contact the Elite Four, to investigate just what's going on!"

" And how will we do that, exactly? As you've said, all phone and communication systems appear to be down, unless you are seriously considering walking there?"

" I am."

Misty sighed, frowning involuntarily as she did so.

"I'll make myself some tea, then we can investigate this ridiculous notion even further. You want anything?"

" I'm fine, thanks."

The Gym Leader rose to her feet, disappearing into the Kitchen area. Seconds later, the humming of the kettle sprinkled into life, followed by a stirring of a cup. Her reaction was understandable, I guess. My gut feeling, although I believed in it with every fiber of my being, may have simply been a false alarm. It was late, after all, maybe I was overreacting. I had spent weeks, months, training my Pokemon for the Elite Four inspection, to perform without fail in Gym battles, and now, the day of the inspection, I leave on a whim, fueled by my own rumors. What would I do if this was all it was, a rumor? What would happened if Bruno finally made his way to the Pewter City Gym? What could my father possibly say to him that may be enough to excuse my absence?

It hit me, much quicker than I had anticipated! My father! He believes the organization is behind all this! My father was a lot of things when I grew up, all those years ago, but he was never wrong!

" OK, so we left our conversation at 'running like idiots to the Elite Four'. Wanna elaborate more on that?"

Misty sat down before me once again, sipping the contents of her tea in satisfaction, smelling innocently to herself.

"Peppermint tea. Calms the nerves, if your interested?"

I smiled. Even now my friend was trying her utmost best to alleviate the situation, and I couldn't help but give in to her charm. She didn't really need to get involved in what I was thinking of doing, anyway.

"Sorry, about what I just said, it's just..."

I understand, Brock, after all the traveling we did, it would be unnatural if we didn't pick up on such little things. But this is all this is, a little thing, I promise."

"Well, with a statement like that, how can I argue against it?"

Misty giggled, slightly guilty with herself. Hopefully she only saw the illusion that I had given in to her point of view, I had forgotten how perceptive she could be. Even sheltered from the elements, the howling wind began to pick up the pace, and rain began to throw itself against the glass, making a sound similar to an applause! I noted, with irony, that Misty and her sisters may have installed the body of glass for that exact reason.

Maybe that's what she meant when she wanted to re-decorate my Gym, always the resourceful Misty.

"You want a place to stay for the night? We have a spare room upstairs. It's the only room that at least _tries_ to be gender- neutral, anyway."

" That would be great, actually, but I wouldn't want to intrude..."

"Relax! Besides, I wouldn't want to leave you out in the big bad rain outside, wouldn't want the Rock-Type Gym Leader to get a little wet, now would we?"

"Misty, you can be mean sometimes."

"I know!" Came the expected response.

*...*

'What...what if something was going to happen, something bad?'

'What if my father was right, that this was all Team Rocket's doing?'

'What will they be planning to do next?'

'What will I do next?'

'What can I do?'

...

...

...

*...*

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead! Got a big day today!"

"Ughh...what?"

Of course. I slept in Cureelean last night.

Misty stood above me, grinning like an idiot, as if she expected me to share her charismatic thrill for ridiculously early morning starts.

" it's 7am, Misty. No offense, but why are you up? It's Sunday!"

"Sunday's are workdays around here, you know, wouldn't want to become a slacker like the guy over in Pewter..."

"Hey!"

Rubbing my eyes, I ventured from my bed, limping sleepily outside, wondering what food would be present in Misty's kitchen.

Before my jaw dropped, shocked at what I saw!

Curelean's Gym Leader had already made her way towards the large pool that dominated her arena floor, her Water-Pokemon training within. As I advanced ever closer, I could begin to hear Misty's increasingly demanding tasks.

"Dewgong, Aqua Jet! Kingdra, Surf! Starmie, Ice Beam! Together, people!"

It was Kingdra, the powerful Water/Dragon Pokemon, that kick-started the show. It dived underwater, summoning the body of fluid, until it resembled a fine wave. Dewgong, until now poised underneath the pool, leaped into the open air, just in time for Starmie to begin it's attack. The Pokemon unleashed a large, concentrated beam of ice, directly towards the newly created wave! Wherever the beam touched, it solidified into stone-cold ice, immediately! Dewgong concluded it's leap, landing on the poke-made iceberg, gearing itself toward a suspended hoop, no larger than the Pokemon that was about to squeeze through it.

Impossible!

Dewgong launched itself from the ice, sprinkles of water surrounding the Seal Pokemon. In the blink of an eye, it massaged itself through the hoop, making it's way towards the edge of the pool, still encapsulated in ice!

"Scald!"

Dewgong nodded, impossibly casually for a Pokemon in the midst of a high-risk manoeuver, and opened it's mouth, summoning vast amounts of steaming hot water, impacting against the solid bar of ice. It took moments, far too short to allow the attack time to melt the ice, before the Pokemon landed, diving into the converted water once again. Dewgong bobbed it's head from underwater, smiling cheerfully to itself. Starmie and KIngdra, too, appeared overjoyed, as if this was the first time the attack was successful! As the last remanents of the iceberg melted into the heated pool, all three of her Pokemon swam towards their Trainer, Misty putting each of them in turn.

"Good job you guys! I'm so proud of you!"

"Not bad." I added, smiling coyly to myself as I could see Misty's cheeks burning a passionate red in response.

" That little stunt took _weeks_ to prepare, and perfect! I'm not settling for anything less than a 'perfect' from your like, Mister!"

" It could be better."

It gave me no greater satisfaction than to exact my revenge on my enemy in our great war of words. Misty closed her eyes, and looked away, focusing again on her Pokémon.

" Seems like someone thinks they're better than us, am I right?"

Her Pokemon, obviously, cheered in response to her Trainer, making me laugh hysterically as they did so! Why wasn't my Gym this much fun?

"So what do you want to do today, seeing as you are in the neighborhood? Let's go to Bill's house! It's near the top of Curelean, if we leave now..."

"Thank you so much for the invitation, but I really better get going. My Father would probably be useless as a Gym Leader now in His old age, after all."

"You still...caught up on what we talked about last night?"

"A little, but don't worry, I'm not going to venture off into the neck of the woods or anything. Heading home is my latest priority right now."

"Well then, we'll be in touch, when the phone company out he's up that bug from last night, you have to tell me how you got on with your Gym inspection, by the way."

"Thanks, for letting me stay last night."

"That's no problem, when you feel like the world is ending again, let me know and I'll come and talk sense to you again!"

*...*

Curelean City looked terrible.

It must have been a much larger storm than I had imagined, because as I left the comfort of the City's Gym, closing the door as lightly as I could, the first image that came into my head was the amount of roof tiles that layed uselessly on the ground. There appeared to be a large number of them, of various different shades of color, thrown against the footpaths, of no more use. I knew the wind outside was picking up I'm pace when I ventured inside the Gym, but it couldn't have been _this_ bad, could it? Making my way past the tile-laden footpath, it became insurmountably obvious that a few broken roof tiles were the least of this City's worries.

Everywhere I looked, shards of glass littered the area around random sets of houses, far too destructive to blame on a certain gust of wind. The damage looked suspiciously Man-made.

And yet, there was no one to be seen. None at all!

Carefully, deliberately trying not to cause too much noise, I silently crept past the street, careful not to make any hint of a noise. It was only 8am, but my gut feeling told me that someone, one person at the very least, would have picked up on the scale of the damage. Quite frankly, the entire town should be in hysterics right now!

Where was everybody?

This was more than just a coincidence, and I had to get to the bottom of this! Wasting no more time, I walks to the nearest door I could find, knocking impatiently.

" Go away! You took everything we owned! Go away!"

This spelt trouble. Big trouble!

"I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to help you! What happened here?"

The response was almost instantaneous.

"We were robbed! A whole bunch of Black-cladded Men and Women stormed in here, took everything I owned, and went to smash next door's house! I tried calling the police but the phones were down, they still are!"

Damn. This couldn't have been just a simple coincidence.

" There's no one here now, come on out, I can help you."

"Not taking that chance, pal! "

I couldn't waste any more time here.

I dashed towards the Pokémon Center, hoping that some answers could be found there. As I made my way to the building's entrance, however, it had already suffered at the hands of the same group that had terrorized the City, notable signs of destruction displayed across the exterior facade, with a number of windows smashed. The door, as I tried desperately to move it aside, was locked shut.

It took a whole lot more than a simple renegade group to vacate a Pokemon Center!

There was not one person venturing from their homes, the high-rise apartments above me, somehow, also displayed scenes of destruction, primarily in the shape of broken glass. Did people break in to people's apartments? This was getting more and more suspicious by the second.

And I had no intention of remaining in the center of all this!

Curelean's Gym was once again my target, sprinting towards the building with all the acceleration my feet could provide, abandoning stealth. Glass crunched underneath my feet, with a pair of shards managing to break their way through, piercing my foot.

I grimanced, yet kicked the pain towards the back of my mind, and carried on regardless.

" Hey! Who goes there?"

Too late to hide!

I froze, slowly turning in the direction of the voice, and regretted what I saw.

Three men, dressed in black from head to toe, opposed me, sporting poke balls. What made me anxious, whatever, was the letter 'R', shamelessly written across their torso.

No doubt about it. Team Rocket.

"How about you guys just turn around and leave," I threatened, retrieving my own poke ball from my chest pocket. "Before you guys get really hurt!"

Displaying no signs of fear, each of the trio launched their capsules into the air, unleashing their Pokemon without another word. In the blink if an eye, Magmar, Raticate, and a Pupitar opposed me, each Pokemon appearing more deadly than the last. It didn't matter, however, I only needed one Pokemon in this battle. I threw my own poke ball into that air, allowing it to open it's own accord, releasing my Pokemon from within.

" I warned you."

Aerodactyl uttered a terrifying roar of defiance, and immediately lunged for the Pupitar, the biggest threat.

"Crunch."

My Pokemon captured the slow-moving enemy in it's teeth, applying monumental pressure to it's hard shell as it did so. Aerodactyl took to the sky, it's captive struggling within it's jaws.

"Magmar! Use Flamethrower!" One of the Grunts bellowed, clearly unable to deduce the futility of his orders. Nevertheless, his Pokemon responded, releasing a stream of flame, directly towards my Pokemon. In the open sky, however, the Flying-Type was untouchable. My Pokemon barrel-rolled, easily avoiding the attack before it can anywhere close.

"Sky Attack." I commanded, knowing my Aerodactyl could hear, even predict, my next sentence. Months of training and battling prepared me for dealing with punks like these three, looking decidedly less imposing then they had mere moments ago.

One of them, frightened, returned his Raticate within it's poke ball, running for the hill beyond!

"Come back here you coward!" His remaining allies yelled in defiance, taking their eyes of their own Pokemon.

A mistake.

Aerodactyl accelerated towards Magmar, picking up speed with each passing second, Pupitar struggling in it's jaws. The Fire-Type attempted to dodge, but was effortlessly struck by the full destructive power of my Pokemon's attack. Pillars of dust barreled into the air, rising high into the morning sky. I shielded my eyes, moving ever closer to the battle, hoping to witness the aftermath of the battle.  
Magmar was sprawled against the edge of town, almost thirty feet away! It was obvious that this Pokemon was not going to get up and battle anytime soon, and his Trainer knew it. Pupitar, somehow, managed to escape my Pokemon's jaws, spearing towards Aerodactyl, quick as a bullet. For once in it's life, my Pokemon was too slow. Both opponents collided, sending my Aerodactyl sprawling to the ground, momentarily stunned

"Take Down!" the lead Grunt ordered, smirking, realizing he now possessed the tactical advantage. In a split-second, Pupitar closed it's eyes, before leaping into the sky, on a direct trajectory path with my Pokemon.

"Dodge it, and use Crunch again!"

Aerodactyl shot into the sky, maneuvering past Pupitar's effort by centimeters, before lunging for the Pokemon once again, trapping it within it's deadly rows of teeth.  
This time, it was _not _going to escape as lightly as it had before!

"Hyper Beam."

Pupitar struggled within the confines of Aerodactyl's mouth, attempting to escape. It was fruitless, however, and my Pokemon soon charged the necessary amount of energy within it's jaws. With no time to lose, Aerodactyl released the excited photon energy, striking it's adversary, point blank. Pupitar soon received it's wish, free from my Pokemon's grip, but not before it was broken and charred, barreling towards the ground, colliding with a sickening impact. Aerodactyl landed next to me, shrieking it's ancient battle roar towards our opponents.  
Who turned and ran.

"Hey!"

I darted towards them, attempting to catch up, but the Trainer's were simply too quick to catch. They made their way towards the city's coast, before leaping off the edge, making their way towards the vast body of water beyond.

"No!"

It became obvious that this wasn't just a desperate attempt to escape, however. As I peered over the edge, all three men had already made their way past Curelean's cave, travelling in a speedboat.  
This was bad news!  
Wasting no more time, I ventured towards Aerodactyl, perching myself on top of it's back. It was excruciatingly uncomfortable, but there was no other alternative.

"After them!"

Aerodacytl nodded, raising it's wings high into the sky, about to take off.

"Stop!"

It was Misty! The Trainer ran towards me, indisputably worried.

"Stop, just please, stop! Your not going to do much good chasing after them!"

"And how do you expect me to believe that?!"

"Because there were only three of them, Brock, Grunts at best. We should be saving our energy for the big guys, the Operatives, and other members."

It made sense, in a way...but I got the distinct impression that Misty was...hiding something.  
Within moments, a large number of squad cars arrived on the scene, flooding the area in Red and Blue lighting. Sirens sounded, and with it, the majority of Curelean's citizens _finally _unlocked their doors, venturing outside for the first time since the aftermath of the attack. Police Officers scrambled from the vehicle's doors, immediately questioning the large number of people about what just happened. Looking towards Misty, the gravity of the situation began to clamp down on me, as if it fought against gravity to hold me down.

'_My Father was never wrong.'_


	2. Pewter Flames

"What are you doing in Curlean City?"

"Visiting a friend, she's the Gym Leader here."

"And where do you live right now?"

"Pewter City. I'm the Gym Leader in that area."

"These Men, can you describe them to us? Did they carry Pokemon?"

Officers harassed me with questions the second they made eye contact with me!  
The City was swamped with Police, multiple squads conjoining in this very area, interviewing everyone, scribbling down notes on their pads, taking pictures of the damage caused, the works.

"And can you tell us exactly what Pokemon they were using?"

This wasn't going to end any time soon, was it?

"Raticate, Magmar, and a Pupitar. I managed to defeat them, but they took off in a speedboat."

"Wouldn't expect any less from a Gym Leader such as yourself, good work!"

The last comment, complimenting me, distracted me from the interrogator's harsh words, removing the theory that he viewed me as a suspect, causing thousand's worth of damage to their little domain, in the midst of my battle with members of the organisation. I guess I couldn't blame him. Black bags circled his eye's, a tell-tale sign of how overworked the Officer was. This latest scenario involving telecommunication signals being jammed wasn't going to help alleviate his stress, either.

"Thank you for your co-operation. We suggest travelling back towards Pewter, hopefully our crisis hasn't spread there."

"No problem, will do."

As he turned, rejoining his Patrol, it struck me that, despite the handicap of no technology on their side, their response was noticeably quick.  
Not quick enough to apprehend the Grunts, of course, but impressive nonetheless.  
Should I have informed Pewter's Police Department about what I saw, what we _all _saw, the single, menacing 'R'?  
Would they have taken my claim seriously?  
Misty was the right person to go to, it seemed. She understood more than anyone.  
Especially after this.  
Men, Women, and Children scurried to and fro the City, appearing at people's houses, neighbors, Relatives, spreading the news.  
Quite a large number of them turned to stare at _me, _too.

"Did you _see _this guy battling? His Pokemon was _amazing!"_

"Gotta feel bad for the Trainers who have to fight him for that Badge, I know I would."

The compliments were flattering, but in no way comforting. I hoped my Father was alright, alone in that Gym.

"What have I done?"

Even now, efforts were being made in an attempt to restore the City Centre to it's previous state, both People and Pokemon carrying vast sheets of glass, hoping to replace the smashed windows before sunset tonight. I would love to help in the effort, of course, but right now I had more pressing problems to figure out.  
Like Pupitar.  
The Pokemon was abandoned, burned by my Aerodactyl's powerful attack. Recently evolved, from the looks of things, nowhere near as powerful as it's appearance would suggest.

And now, It dawned on me, with horror, that I opened my mouth, revealing it's existence to the Police Force, battling for the other side, no less!  
The Steel-Type was nestled inside a Poke Ball, _allowing _itself to be captured in my hands. The gesture spoke volumes. That Pokemon must have been _desperate _to leave it's Trainers!  
And no wonder.  
With the scenario unfolding behind me, I cautiously advanced towards Curlean Gym, sighing with relief when no members of Police Officers were present to greet me.

"Misty?"

Peering through the door, I spotted the Gym Leader rushing furiously to one side of her Gym, returning each and every one of her Pokemon within their capsules.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe _it!"_

The Trainer struck the nearest wall, colliding with a sick 'thud'. It must have hurt, yet she carried on, placing her Poke Balls inside her bag, carefully zipping the lining, closing it.

"Am I...interrupting anything?"

I had never seen this side of Misty before, and with the amount of time I had spent with her, _that _was an achievement. Better to announce my presence in case she barrel-kicked my head off.

"My _sisters, _Brock, they left a note, inside their _damn _room. I just read it now!"

She tossed the paper towards me, landing delicately near my feet.  
I reached for the parchment, taking it in.

'_Dear Misty._

_We're so, so sorry for having to do this, but Mom called us, wanted us to visit her in Blackthorn City, She said it was something urgent. She also made us promise not to involve you, because you might 'Take it the wrong way'. Her words, Sweetie, not ours!_

_I know it must be hard looking after the Gym all by your lonesome, but we will be back in about a week, We'll make it up to you then!_

_xoxoxoxo'_

"And now, _this _happens!" Misty continued, perhaps staring at my eyes, darting from left to right, reading the letters.

"It's just a week, right? That's not a great length of time!"

Misty stared at me, point-blank between my eyes, as if she saw a Bug Pokemon.

"You don't understand the _first _thing about Women, do you? They _left _me! To visit _our _Mom, who, for some _damn _reason, wanted me to stay here? _What _could she possibly need my sisters for that I couldn't help with?!"

My closest Friend was furious, no doubt about it, and there seemed to be no sign of calming her down as of yet.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No."

*...*

Omastar and Kabutops traveled along the length of the pool, both Fossil Pokemon darting towards their destination with as much speed as they could possibly carry. Even now, I struggled to grasp just how Kabutops was able to _tolerate _that much Water. Although sharing the Water-Type attribute, it was clearly not designed for swimming, although my Pokemon enjoyed the activity immensely. Maybe there was a much greater presence of Water millions of years ago, when the Water-Type roamed freely, without the danger of extinction...

Misty had calmed down, somewhat. Now approachable, from the looks of things. I kept my distance, at least until I was certain she wasn't going to throw a kick my way. The Trainer was huddled up against the glass, staring towards the continuing situation, unfolding just outside her Gym.

"What is it you think they want, this time?"

I looked up, distracted by her comment. Misty continued continued to gaze outside her window, her question dangling in the air, evaporating with every second that passed by.

"I don't know, but if they're able to pull off something like _this, _it can't be good."

Kabutops unfolded it's scythes, breaking through the Water barrier as cleanly as any Water Pokemon had a right to, landing on it's two feet, staring towards me intently.

"That was perfect. Well done."

My Pokemon gave the faintest of nods, satisfied.

"What do we do now?"

Misty turned, looking directly towards me, standing in the same breath as my Pokemon, sharing the same height.

"You two look like you've spent your whole lives training together. It's obvious as soon as I turned around."

The compliment took me by surprise, but it was what layed beneath that worried me. Misty's voice was _full _of pessimism, as if she was _jealous _of me, of my Pokemon.  
No, that wasn't right. Maybe Misty was right, maybe I _didn't _know how to read Women.

"In a way, we've had" I replied, making my way towards her. "I've trained to become a Gym Leader ever since I was a Kid. I've dreamed about running a Gym ever since I owned my first Pokemon, but all that training, all that battling...It-"

"Makes you wonder just what the appeal of the whole thing is?"

"...Yes...You feel the same way too?"

"Uh-huh."

The two of us stood still, bathing in the uncomfortable silence.

"Ever since we traveled with him, I questioned just what I was doing here, day after day after day. There's so much more out there than just this, Brock. There's so much that we saw with him, with May, with Dawn, with Max, with Tracy, I wonder where they are, too. Do they feel the same?"

"I don't know, all I know is that I do."

The first sounds of droplets outside, trickling outside the large sheen of glass, interrupting our conversation, clouds above turning from Pearl-White to an altogether deeper shade of Grey. Officers and people outside were soon to be treated to the second wave the Storm has to offer. Neither of us shared a comment for a while, Curlean's Gym Leader stretching her legs, making her way towards the kitchen, disappearing behind it's doors. I stayed behind, focusing my attention on my Pokemon, diverting my other thoughts.

"Let's see what you can do, Omastar, Aqua Jet."

My Pokemon, even underwater, acknowledged, leaping into the air, barreling towards me with a massive burst of acceleration, surrounding itself with a whirlpool of water. Just before it made its way towards me, however, it arced abruptly, landing towards the other end of the Pool, making a surprisingly nimble splash.

My Pokemon had the same idea of conserving Misty's Pool as I had.

Misty reappeared, sporting two plates of Pancakes, covered in Maple Syrup.

"Here you go, Breakfast on the house!"

"You shouldn't have! I never want you to do things just for me!"

"Hey I'm hungry enough to eat _both _plates, it's your call."

"...Thanks, Misty."

The Trainer smiled, placing both plates near the edge of the pool, sitting on it's ledge, dipping her bare feet into it's Waters. I repeated the gesture, sitting next to her, taking a bite of one of her Pancakes. It was absolutely delicious, sweet and filling all in one go!

"Your a great cook, you know!"

"Please, Curlean's Home-Made Pancakes, just $2.99!"

"Noted!"

Kabutops and Omastar, too, seemed to pick up on my food, scrambling to take one of the pancakes from my plate. We laughed, each of us handing out manageable portions for my Pokemon. Before long, all of us were satisfied, finishing our share of food.

"You still haven't answered my question."

"Huh?"

"What are we going to do now, remember?"

"Oh."

That _was _an interesting question to point out, and with Team Rocket now a terrifyingly real threat, and it's plans, as of yet, obscured, there was not a whole lot of options to consider.

"I'll let you know when I come up with a suggestion."

Misty removed her feet from the pool, placing scandals on both her feet.

"I have a suggestion, if you wouldn't mind hearing it?"

"Of course!"

Misty looked away, once again gazing towards the City from her windows.

"We should find him, Brock. And make an actual effort, this time!"

I nodded, taking time to allow the idea to sink in. Of _course _that was an option! I was surprised that my Friend would have mentioned it first, I favored the suggestion, but thought Misty would find the idea...ridiculous.

"You think that if Ash wanted to be found, he found have came back home? Came back _here?_ And besides, how would we start searching for him?"

The name rang through my ears, recalling a vast array of memories.  
Great memories.

"We can start with Pallet Town, talk to her Mom?"

"I've already done that, Brock, very recently, and she had no idea where he was."

"What about Professor Oak?"

It took just a second, before the rhetorical light-bulb inside Misty's head went off, flicking on abruptly.

"I...forgot about that."

* * *

We had a plan, and an objective. We were making progress. The _next _step, however, became more problematic.

"What about Team Rocket?"

What if they were to re-appear, attack once again? It would definitely make sense to stay where we were, ready to defend if that was to ever occur.  
But Ash...

"It will be two days, three days hike, tops. We'll be back if we don't find any grounds to search for him. It'll be like we never left."

"I guess...a couple of days couldn't hurt."

Great, Misty was on board.

"I'd recommend letting a neighbor or relative know that you're about to leave town for a couple of days, just in case."

Misty simply nodded, making her way towards another set of doors, disappearing in an instant.  
Only to re-appear, clutching a simple change of clothes.

"Well, I guess we will be making a short stop near Pewter, to collect your things, won't we?"

"Nope, I'm pretty good."

*...*

Pupitar remained in a critical condition.  
The Pokemon sported a number of second-degree burns, it's tough, Steel-like skin charred and cracked in places. It's eyes were sealed firmly shut, remaining unconscious.  
It needed treatment, and fast.  
Reaching into my bag, recovering one of my remaining Revives, it took seconds for me to gently apply it to the skin of the Steel-Type. It's contents drained instantly, and already, Pupitar was showing a positive adverse reaction, opening it's eyes for the first time in 18 hours. It's burns, too, began to reverse, noticeably subsiding.  
But there was still more to do.  
A Full Restore was retrieved, again applied to the same area of exposed skin, working it's magic the second it began to coarse through the Pokemon's veins.  
It was amazing how advanced Pokemon medicine had grown over the past ten years.  
All traces of Pupitar's injuries had vanished, and the Steel-Type blinked twice, staring intently into my eyes.

"It's ok. You don't have to deal with them anymore."

Misty hefted her bag across her back, finally ready to go.

"You mean that was one of the Pokemon you battled yesterday? It belonged to one of _them?"_

"It's despicable, but yeah."

There was no doubt about it, this Pokemon was shy, cautiously retreating from my hand, it's eyes displaying all the emotion I needed to know.

Pupitar didn't trust me.

"I'm sure you and I will get along just fine, just give me time."

The Pokemon safely retrieved, there was simply no time left to waste.

"Time to go, don't you think?" I suggested, making my way towards the door.

"Ladies first!" came the inevitable reply.

*...*

Curlean had calmed down by the time the sun was beginning to set, casting bright-Orange strokes throughout the sky. Again and again, Tailow's and Spearow's dotted the air, flying to the East. The vast majority of people had disappeared from the streets, all but a few Officers, scores of Poke balls present across their utility belts.

They were _not _taking chances this time, it seemed.

"We'll hit Pewter City in an hour, we can stay in my Gym for the night, make our way towards Pallet Town in the morning, how does that sound?"

"Returning the favor, are we? I'm cool with that."

Our little stroll through the city revealed the extent of the repair work being done, multiple sections of streets closed off, it's pavement removed. Above, scores of windows had been replaced, the remaining few that could not be reached in time covered with Wood until replacements arrived.  
Misty took in the scenario through gritted teeth. I couldn't blame her. She lived here her whole life. Seeing it reduced to this level must have some as quite a shock to the young Gym Leader.

"I'm sorry, Misty."

"It's ok."

Curlean Cave soon presented itself, veering to the right. Like the city, it's entrance was guarded closely by no less than four officers, one of them taking command of an Archinine. With that much firepower, I assumed no one would dare fight their way inside. The Cave had become a natural preservation site in the past three years, but I heard, more than once, stories about Trainers dumb enough to venture inside, encountering the massively powerful Pokemon within.

And running for their lives.

The hike proved to be a difficult ordeal. Acres of hills and narrow pathways, with ten-foot, unguarded drops, presented themselves as soon as we ventured through the City gates. Far above, we were racing against the remaining sunlight the Sun provided, rapidly fading as the minutes flew by. At this time of year, it would usually fade into darkness around 7pm, but it was turning past 5, and at this rate, we would be lucky if we were to reach Pewter under any daylight at all.

Misty, too, recognized this fact.

"We need to pick up the pace, don't we?"

"Pretty much."

"Fantastic."

Years of traveling across different regions had toughened my traveling companion, vastly different to the skirmish girl I first met, all those years ago. I had to hand it to her, I expected her to stay in her Gym until morning. The hills were dispatched effortlessly, both of us coping well with the hike thus far, maintaining a healthy pace. The landscape changed rather dramatically, Pewter's rocky influence penetrating into the horizon.

" is just up ahead, dealing with that, it's smooth sailing from there."

"I've traveled through here before, Brock, I'm pretty up to speed on our travel route."

"Just trying to keep up morale!"

Misty giggled, alleviating the tension.

"Your sweet, thanks Brock!"

It didn't take long before we reached 'Moon's entrance, it's dark arch rising to greet us. From here, a problem arose, one that I should have been prepared for.

I forgot to pack a flashlight.

Journeying through this cave, with nightfall fast approaching, was the equivalent to being blind. I couldn't travel more than 10 yards before falling if I was blind. We had to find a way across, but how?

"Afraid of the dark, are we?"

Misty peered into the entrance, trying, and failing, to make out any detail of what was inside. Retrieving a Poke ball, she launched it into the air, releasing her Starmie.

"Flash please!"

Of course!

Starmie's Gem began to shine, providing a powerful beam of light, illuminating the interior of the cave. A pair of Zubat's, unused to the dazzling light, flew deeper inside, hoping for darkness.

"Oh look, you interrupted their sleep!" I mocked, nudging her shoulder "That was great work, Quick thinking."

" It's what I'm here for."

*...*

Mt. Moon, still dark despite Starmie's Flash, intimidated me to the core.

Not that I was afraid, but, even after all this time, I was still unsure as to how we would reach the other side, vast arrays of paths and unclimbable cliffs presenting a difficult challenge.

Once again, I thanked my lucky stars I had Misty as a guide.

She marched ahead, her Pokemon leading the group. Every now and again, it's Trainer would whisper words of encouragement to the Water-Type, promising a reward. Our training styles contrasted dramatically, it appeared. I could only hope I came across as motivating to my Pokemon as my Curlean counterpart. The sound of water dripping added to the Cave's ambiance, removing the otherwise powerful silence within.

But there was something wrong, and we noticed it as soon as we turned a right-hand corner.

There, at the end of the natural corridor, a light, warm and welcoming, promising a way out.

But this was not natural illumination, it was too...piercing for that. No, the illumination was definitely man-made. Someone was here.

To her credit, Misty wasn't taking any chances!

"Lights out, Starmie!"

We were plunged into darkness once more, surrounding us instantly.

Silently, I felt Misty's hand on my shoulder, directing me where to go. From my new-found direction, it appeared we were moving straight towards the light! Why was Misty pursuing this? It could be just a Hiker, after all. was a popular destination for climbing enthusiasts.

" Hurry, we have to be gone for dark, Bosses orders!"

"Quiet! I'm done when I'm done!"

Bosses orders?

We ventured closer, hidden in the cover of darkness, interested to discover just who these Men were. Men with a deadline, venturing through this cave, appeared suspicious, at best. It didn't take long before we uncovered their identity.

It was the men I fought in Curlean.

They escaped to here, that was for sure, were they trying to return to the City? From our vantage point, I could see both men carrying scores of Poke balls, whether they were containing Pokemon, I couldn't tell. What was certain, however, was that either the Poke balls housed stolen Pokemon, or were about to be used in that explicit purpose.

I really hadn't expected anything less from the cowards.

Peering to the right, we found the reason for the unnatural lighting, the Magmar I had battled earlier using it's own version of Flash, it's tail burning brighter I could have imagined. It's face, however, displayed everything I needed to know. It appeared this Pokemon was stolen, too, unwillingly carrying out it's orders. Perhaps Pupitar was stolen, as well.

Misty had enough, interrupting my thought process.

"Water gun, Starmie, then Rapid Spin."

Her Pokemon may have acknowledged it's Trainer, I really couldn't tell with the darkness all around us, but it took a slight delay before a body of Water cascaded it's way towards the Fire-Type, sticking it face first! Magmar yelped, too distracted to maintain it's Flash any longer. Our surroundings were plunged into complete darkness. Starmie, however, seemed to have no problem when it came to visibility, it seemed, because before long I could hear the tortured screams of both Men, distinctive even against their echoes, before silence filled the environment once more.

"Flash, Starmie, let's see what we're left with."

Starmie illuminated our surroundings once again, stunning me, my eyes unused to the lighting's proximity.

Both Men had collapsed, tilting at unnatural angles, caught completely by surprise, no doubt. I made my way towards one of them, grabbing a fistful of his shirt, pulling him closer to me.

"Just what do you think your doing, messing around here like this? What are you planning?"

"You fool..."

Misty made her way towards my captive, placing her fist directly against his stomach, knocking the wind clean out of him. He doubled over, but couldn't capitalize on recovering, before I forced him to sit up once more.

"Now, your going to tell us, What, are you planning?!"

The Man darted his eyes towards his comrade, but found no respite. He was tilting upside down, unconscious.

He was the lucky one.

"Your not going to get anything out of me! Your going to pay for this, both of you!"

Misty leaned in closer, lowering her voice until it became a whisper.

"Starmie's not my most powerful Pokemon, you know. I doubt you've never heard of Gyarados, right?"

The Man gulped. Even in the faint illumination, beads of sweat began to pour down his forehead.

"Please, you don't understand, I was forced into this, I'm just one of the guy's on the ground, Timothi promised my family would pay if I failed to cooperate, I can't go back to prison again!"

Misty leaned upright again, pleased with her captive's change of tune, but I picked up on another matter.

"You've been in prison?"

Hesitantly, he nodded, perspiring even more.

"And your colleague, here. Is he in the same predicament?"

Again, I received a nod as my answer.

"And, hypothetically, if I asked you if all Grunts your rank were enlisted the same way, would you say yes?"

No hesitation this time, our prisoner nodded feverishly. I understood. Being a part of a major criminal organization was one thing, forcing them into said faction presents a different matter altogether.

"Misty, we're leaving them go."

My companion didn't take this very lightly.

" Like hell we are! There's a little concept floating around, about what people are able to do, it's called lying Brock, and this little wimp is lying through his soon-to-be-detached teeth!"

I stared towards the Man again. He was many things, a criminal, a thug, a wimp, that was for sure, but he just didn't come across as a liar. His eyes, since admitting the information to me, were dilated, impossible to achieve under the faint illumination within the Cave.

"Misty trust me on this, he's telling the truth."

"Well that's just fine and dandy, but there's no way we can know for sure, that _I_ can know for sure!"

"So we'll just take him with us."

Misty, predictably enough, shook her head, refusing to digest the very notion of the suggestion.

"No way, Brock."

"We'll remove all methods of communication, he'll disappear from Rocket's radar, and he can tell us everything we need to know, We can act on his information alone, Misty!"

Our captive begged, his hands outstretched before us, on his knees.

"I'll do anything! I'll do whatever you say, you have my word! I'll return the stolen Pokemon I swear to Acreus I will, you'll be there to stop me if I do something wrong just please, help me!"

I had made my mind up. It was up to Misty to relieved her verdict.

The Trainer crossed her arms, deliberating. Against Starmie's illumination, I could see her angular features softening, her tough demeanor fading. She understood, this guy could become more of an asset than a nuisance.

"You are to hand all of your Pokemon to us. Your are to return all of your stolen Pokemon to wherever you robbed them from. You are to hand me everything you own, I don't want you to carry anything on your person, until you can convince me to trust you, which I doubt, and we will leave your little friend here!"

She gestured to the Grunt's unconscious ally, unable to move a single muscle in his body. Our man nodded inexplicably to all her terms, slowly rising to his feet, cautiously watching Misty's movements, as well as those from her Pokemon.

Nothing wrong with installing a healthy dose of fear, at least until we became better acquainted.

I placed a hand on the man's shoulder, buffering him towards the front of our group, nudging him onward.

"You know how to get out of here. I want to keep my eyes on you, at least until we're outside."

He nodded, more out of fear than anything else, shuffling onward, helped by Misty's Water Pokemon. It's Trainer appeared cautious, her gaze focused on nothing but our new group still possessed her reservations, but buried them from her attention.

"Your absolutely sure he can help us, Brock?"

"Only one way to find out."

* * *

"What's your Name?"

The cave behind us, it was only a short, stress-free stroll towards my City, the three of us picking up the pace, hoping to capitalize on the last remaining minutes of sunshine. Overhead, PewTer's rocky mountains capped the horizon, stabbing into the night sky with a vengeance, their dark outlines especially prominent against the delicate Grey of the clouds overhead.

"Oscar, Oscar Vance."

"So, Oscar, tell us exactly how you were recruited into Team Rocket."

The man nodded, sentences forming in his head, his face etched with concentration. Reaching into his pocket, he held a handheld Walkie-Talkie, surrendering it into my arms.

"I come from Kalos, many miles from here. I was released from prison only six months ago, charged with assault. I regret that, I really do! It was caused by alcohol and believe me, I've given up on the stuff when I came out, came clean!"

"Your getting distracted!" Misty sighed, impatient, her hands curling into fists. "You mind reverting back to answering the question you were asked?"

Oscar nodded quickly, apologetic.

" I was on my way to the Unova region, just received word that I was hired for work under a rehabilitation scheme for ex-convicts, I was overjoyed! For me, my new start could begin!"

"Only that never fully went to plan?" I interjected, grasping the story.

"No. It didn't."

Pewter was just ahead, just as the final remnants if the sun vanished, it's twilight aura disappearing alongside it.

"When I arrived, I was greeted by scores of men, easily about twenty of them, and in the middle of all this stood a man, no older than his Twenties, Blond hair, Blue-eyes. It was obvious he was running the show. He knew my name, my address, everything about me. He told me if I didn't follow him..."

Oscar handed me three Poke balls, each of them glistening in the fading daylight.

"These Pokémon are mine. The rest of them were stolen. We were supposed to travel to Fuchsia City to meet up with the rest of our battalion to relieved them."

"Thank you."

Misty took the initiative, swiping the large carrier bag from our captive's back, securing it around her own.

"You've taken the first step, Oscar, and now for the rest. What are Team Rocket up to?"

"I don't have a clue, I swear! We were told we would receive orders when we arrived in Fuchsia. I'm too low down to be clued in with what he plans to do!"

We were traveling the wrong way, _that_ was for sure. Ash Ketchum would have to wait. A more realistic, and dangerous, mission had to be carried out before then, intercepting these Grunts, figuring out precisely where things were running. I swore under my breath, not expecting today to take such an unexpected twist. Misty frowned, wiping away stray strands of hair. She was exhausted, visible for the first time today. The Trainer approached the limits of her endurance, it seemed.

"So what do we do now?" She asked, turning her back to our guide, her voice lowered to a whisper. "If what he's saying is true, then we may have to seize the opportunity. Someone in Fuchsia might know precisely where the core of this organization rests!"

I couldn't think of a viable answer, not now. Now, I was exhausted, thirsty, and still envisioning finding our lost friend, returning him to where he belonged. Home.

In the end, however, there was no choice. I sighed, finally leaving our ambitious vision go.

"First light, we travel to Fuschia, find out just what is going on, see what we can do."

I turned to Oscar, uncomfortably shuffling his feet in front of us, unsure of what to do.

"When are Team Rocket's factions meeting up?"

"Three days, at 3pm." He replied, his eyes revealing the truth in his words.

Misty nodded, mentally forming a plan in her head, finding the best course of action.

"Fuschia City is at the very bottom of Kanto, accessible only by Celadon City, Cinnibar Island, and along the Cyclist Highway connecting Lavender Town and Vermilion City."

"Which way is quickest?"

"We could travel to Vermilion, although that would involve brushing through Curlean and Saffron, make our way to Cyclist's Highway, arriving, hopefully, in three days."

I mentally recalled the journey, the sheer distance morphing my legs to jelly. That was roughly 50 miles, and that was something I was hoping to avoid, if at all possible. Lavender Town's path was out of the question, as well, the cave that stood in our way a full three miles of bleak, terrifying ordeal.

But what about...

"Misty what's your largest Water Pokemon?" I asked, hoping her answer would provide a Pokemon of suitable radius.

"Lapras would be my most Human-friendly Pokémon I have." She replied, catching on to my idea."

"We travel to Pallet Town, Surf our way to Fuchsia's coast?"

"Think Lapras is up to the task?"

"You bet!"

Great. We were still on a course of Pallet Town, with a new objective thrown into the mix. Maybe we could still discover where Ash had gone, but we had a new objective, now.

"The Walkie-Talkie, it might light up, they contact me occasionally!"

Oscar's warning suddenly turned into an intriguing idea.

"Brock! Look!"

I turned to where Misty was pointing, all optimism draining from my face.

Pewter City was engulfed with flames.

* * *

My Home was being attacked, the cowards using the cover of nightfall to launch an attack on my very streets, and if it was _anything _like Curlean, then I would have to stop the cowardly members of Team Rocket..._before _they delivered the damage.  
But damage had already been inflicted.  
Even under my limited vision, it quickly became apparent that many of Pewter's apartments had been vandalized, scores of buildings showing signs of multiple break-ins. Eruptions of glass assaulted my eardrums, coupled with the screams of ordinary people and Trainers alike, terrifying me!  
And one person _knew _about this!

"You!"

It wasn't long before my fists were filled with the Black clothing of Oscar's uniform, pushing the defenseless Grunt against a rocky crevice, barely able to retain my calm.

"You knew about this, you _knew _they were coming here! Why didn't you tell us?!"

Oscar struggled futilely against my constraints, his eyes darting back and forth, afraid.

"I swear! I didn't know anything about this! We're under different factions, remember?"

"_Bullshit! _The two Cities were far too close for you _not _to have some form of contact with them! You lied to us!"

"Brock!"

Misty pointed into the middle of the destruction, diverting my rage to it's general direction, evaporating in an instant when I saw what troubled her so much.  
My home.  
Pewter Gym was the most assaulted building in the entire City! Even from our viewpoint, scores of Men and Women surrounded the lone complex, throwing flame-fueled projectiles towards it, igniting everything it touched. Glass was soon disposed off, shattered by the combined forces of both Grunts and Pokemon, ushering inside, hoping the clean the arena from the inside out.

Like _hell _they will!

"Onix! I need you!"

It took just a flash, a split-second of illuminating light, and my friend soon surrounded us, facing the destruction of it's home in utter rage. I knew my Pokemon more than any person on the planet, and I _knew _what must have been coursing through the Rock-Type's head as it's eyes glowed faintly Red, not needing my permission to attack.

"Rage, Onix. Let's show these guys just who they're _dealing _with!"

The Ground-Type obeyed, it's final constraints delaying it deleted, charging towards the Gym with a relentless anger even it's old age could not deter! Before long, I wielded two _more _Poke balls, hoping to capitalize my Pokemon's momentum!

"Kabutops, Aerodactyl, Pewter needs your help!"

Both Pokemon launched themselves into the sky, my Water Pokemon landing on both it's deceptively power legs, charging into the midst of the destruction, my Flying-Type taking to the night sky, uttering it's prehistoric scream, deafening everyone and everything within the confines of our rocky terrain. Misty, too, wanted in on the action, more Poke balls than I could count landing towards the ground in a relentless manner, her Pokemon summoned in record time!

"Staryu, Starmie, Lapras, Gyarados, Carrasosta, Help out! We've no time to lose!"

In a flash, Curlean's Leader summoned her vast array of Water-Types, sprinting towards the riot unfolding before us, leaving me alone with Oscar.

"You stray a _foot _away from me, and I'll make sure that rogue step will be your last!" I promised, dashing towards my Pokemon, the terrified Grunt keeping pace behind.

Every step, every conscious act of exertion, drove me deeper into the chaos, the fog surrounding the City enveloping me in an instant. I lost all chance of bearings, losing Misty and her companions, losing Oscar in the process, too. Only Onix's enormous spike, extruding from it's skull, provided any sense of direction. I dashed, pushing aside unimportant members of Team Rocket, sending them spiraling to the ground, disappearing under the thick cover of smoke before they had time to react. Above, the painful silhouette of Misty's Gyarados joined my Rock-Type, augmenting my Pokemon's defense, defending Pewter's Gym with as much vigor as both Pokemon could muster. To my right, Kabutops sliced beside me, a trail of fainted Arbok's in it's wake. It didn't take much of a wild guess that none of them had seen their untimely end coming.

"Good job! Let's keep the pressure going, Slash!"

Kabutops nodded, it's scythes uncurled, eager for destruction. My Pokemon leaped towards it's next prey, a defenseless Raticate, delivering deep gazes within the Pokemon's body, succumbing to it's wounds in an instant. My Water-Type ricocheted to the right, disappearing under the smog, yet it didn't take long before the addled screams indicated they were aware of my Fossil Pokemon's presence.  
Aerodactyl, too, fought to it's full potential, soaring above the sky, a beautiful view whenever the smog parted enough for me to take a glimpse at it, darting towards the ground, a muffled 'thud' indicating it had found it's prey.  
Team Rocket deserved nothing but defeat to anyone who crossed my Pokemon.  
My Gym presented itself, surrounded by painful wisps of smoke and ashes as I fought my way through the poisonous crowd, enlarging another Poke ball in my hand.

"Pupitar! Time to show them what you're made of!"

The Steel-type assimilated onto the ground before me, looking decidedly more nervous than any of my battle-hardened Pokemon, undecided in what to do.  
Until a Grunt charged towards me, his Machoke attempting to take me down!

"Headbutt!" I yelled, hoping that, by some coincidence, that move was one my newly-acquired Pokemon could perform.

It could.

Pupitar launched itself into the middle of the battle formation, far too quick for me to comprehend, let alone _see, _striking down the powerful Fighting-Type, both Pokemon scrambling to the dirt. Machoke sported visible cuts and bruises, momentarily dazed.  
Pupitar, however, was already preparing itself for _another _attack.  
I stood back, awestruck.  
From the air, multiple boulders of roughly varied sizes formed into view, seemingly from nowhere, covered in a faint sheen of Purple energy.  
This Pokemon knew _Ancientpower?  
_Pupitar simply nodded in it's enemies position, and the pseudo boulders cascaded towards it, detonating against it's entire body, striking it's head more prominently than anywhere else.

Machoke simply couldn't summon the speed to dodge it in time.

The barrage cleared , and all traces of the Machoke had...gone.  
Unlike it's Trainer, collapsing to the ground, his face sporting a finely-defined bruise.

"Pupitar return!"

The Pokemon was untrained, that much was for sure, and I wasn't going to allow it to roam in the middle of a battlefield if it felt just as happy striking down people as it was fellow Pokemon.  
I wasn't going to face jail for murder, deserving or not.

"Brock!"

Misty called to me in the distance, her own Fossil Pokemon providing protection from her immediate enemies. Even as more and more Men surrounded her, Carrasosta uttered a painful roar in defiance, striking down anyone who stood too close.

It was clear that the Trainer needed help, however.

Kabutops danced towards us again, as if it telepathically _knew _Misty was in trouble! It took just a glimpse of my powerful Pokemon before Grunts surrendered inexplicably, running for their lives as soon as the opportunity presented itself.  
The threat was just as powerful as it's attacks, it seemed.

"Good, let's focus on the Gym now, Kabutops."

My Pokemon nodded, maneuvering in the arena's general direction, focusing it's energy.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

We faced the voice, dripping with menace and danger in every syllable, seemingly unafraid, and un-deterred.  
In front of us, an Operative held his ground, an entire legion of Grunts forming behind him. It wasn't until he snapped his fingers, however, that my entire body began to boil with rage, threatening to erupt from every centimeter of my body.

There, right behind our dangerous new enemy, stood their bound and beaten prisoner, his head bowed in defeat.

Flint, my Father.


End file.
